Presenting the Uber for Hangover Cures

It sounds like something out of Blade Runner, but it isn't: a cure for the common hangover in the form of an IV drip. That's what one New York startup is pitching, and according to an emergency doctor, it just might work.

Created by Dr. Maurice Beer, a general health practitioner with Mount Sinai Medical Center, and entrepreneur Asa Kitfield, The Hangover Club offers "patients" the ultimate panacea: a vitamin- and electrolyte-infused drip for 30 minutes, plus a nurse in plainclothes who helps set it all up.

Popular among hard-partying hedge funder types, the service is taking off in New York, thanks to its on-demand delivery. According to DNAinfo, one queasy client rung up The Club on his way to the airport and there, in a Cadillac Escalade, received treatment while the car was parked. Said Kitfield to DNAinfo: "We will cater to the boss, the assistant, the staff all at once."

With three at-home tiers ranging from $175 to $249, being part of the club doesn't come cheap. Each tier purports to offer 1,000 ml of "lactated ringer IV solution," plus a choice of nausea or pain medication, On Sundays, the club offers a "mobile infusion" Hangover Bus, whose prices range from $129 to $169.

Dr. Eric Cruzen, chairman of the department of emergency medicine at Lenox Hill HealthPlex in New York's East Village, tells Esquire there's nothing to worry about, at least from a safety standpoint. "As long as they're placing the IV in a medically appropriate way, using sterile equipment and someone certified to do it," it's fine.

However, a cheaper alternative might be just to hydrate with water or a sports drink since "a hangover is predominantly dehydration," Cruzen says. "Theoretically, hydrating yourself in any fashion should improve your symptoms."

Jill KrasnySenior WriterJill Krasny is a senior writer for Esquire where she covers lifestyle, books and general news.

A Part of Hearst Digital Media
Esquire participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites.